The foot patrolmen are the backbone of the Harvard police and their function seems to be similar to that of night watchmen in the Houses, with two important differences. The men are mobile rather than stationary, and each man is armed with a 38 Smith and Wesson revolver, a billy club, and handcuffs.
THE MOST critical piece of technology for any police department, including the Harvard police, is communications. In the past, there used to be a red blinking-light alarm system. A patrolman, if he saw the red light blinking at the corner of a building, would immediately telephone headquarters. The men would also phone in routinely every half hour. But about five years ago, a one-way radio system was introduced whereby the men could receive messages from headquarters.
The one-way radio system, however, had its flaws. Reception was so uncertain that the officer at the desk usually radioed individual patrolmen and requested that they telephone headquarters for instructions, because relaying messages by radio could be too risky. The patrolman's telephoning confirmed the fact that he heard the radio call.
Most Harvard police members felt that two-way radios with better reception would be an excellent investment, and last month, a two-way radio system went into effect.
During the daytime, the Harvard police will be relying increasingly upon alarm systems being established in all the Harvard buildings. The alarms are buttons which, when pushed, will light up the "big board" at headquarters. More than 25 such alarms have already been installed. There are, for example, three in University Hall and one in Massachusetts Hall.
Such technical improvements often fall at the bottom of the financial ladder, however, because Tonis' emphasis has always been on personnel over equipment. "Except for wages, we run on a shoestring," he said.
In the last ten years, beginning patrolmen's wages have doubled. The number of applicants greatly outnumbers the available jobs, and, although the Cambridge police force offers the second highest police salaries in the state, the turnover of Harvard police remains low.
Northeastern University School of Criminal Justice offers courses free to Harvard police. When University police dominated two of the classes, both were moved over to Cambridge.
Tonis himself graduated from Dartmouth and spent 27 years with the FBI before coming to head the Harvard police in '62. For eight years his easy-going ways have given a relaxed but competent tone to the Harvard police department, and there's no reason to think it won't continue.